Traffic signal



Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,636

A.' LATSHAW TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Dec. 9, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 1 .Lair/uzw. 73

Apr. 3, 1923.

A. LATSHAW TRAFFIC SIGNAL 9, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec I i I a I'faaquama I a! v A. Lacs-2 m Patented Apr. 3, 1923. I v

UNITED STATES ADAM rA'rsHAW; or DUBOIS, PENNs LvAnIA.

/ TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed December 9, 1920. SeriaLNo. 429,380.

To alliwhom-it may concern Be it known that I, ADAM LATSHAW, citizen ofthe United States, residing'at Dubois, in the county of ClearfieldandState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Traffic Signals, of which the following is aspecification.

. This invention relates to an improved traffic signal particularlydesigned foruse upon motor vehicles although the device may, as shallpresently appear, besemployed upon street cars, railway trains, or atstreet crossings, and has as one of its principal objects to provide adevice wherein the driver of a vehicle may readily indicate an intentionto turn either to the right orleft, to continue straightahead, or tostop.

The invention has as a further object to providea device wherein thesignaling members employed will be manually operable and where in saidmembers may, without inconvenience to the driver, be selectivelyactlliated from the drivers seat of the vehic e.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a signal whereinthe signaling vmembers employed may,at night, be illuminated so thatsaid members will be readily visible.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a signalwhich may be readily mounted upon and used in connection withsubstantially any conventional design of motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a fra mentary side elevation showing the supporting post forthe control levers employed,

Figure3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device, showing thesignaling memhers in normal posltion,

Figure t IS a perspective viewof the supportingpost, the parts beingdisassembled,

bearing plate of the post,

' hers,

Figure 5 isLa detail perspective ofthe top I igure 6isaverticalfsectional view taken medially throu h one o the signaling mem-Figure v 7 7 of Figurefi, lookingin-the direction of the arrows,

7 is a transverse section on the line Figure 8 is a transverse sectionon the line 8-8 of Figure 6, looking in thedirection of the arrows, andY Figure ,9 is a showing the manner in which the signaling members arelimited in their downward swinging movement.

Although, as previously indicated, the signal of the present inventionmay be employed upon stree cars, railroad-trains, at

street crossings, or in any other situation where a signal of thepresent character would be applicable, the device is, nevertheless,particularly intended for use uponmotor vehicles. I have, in thedrawings, accordingly shown the invention in connection with a motorvehlcle. of convent1onal design. and

The steering shall so describe the device. column of the vehicle isindicated at 10 and the side posts of the vehicle wind shield at 11. Incarrying the invention into effect, I employ a supportingpost 12 whichis mounted upon the steering post of the vehicle and is formed of matingmembers detachably secured together at their lower ends and providedwith companion oppositely bowed portions 13 surrounding thesteering'post. At their upper ends, the mating members of the post 12are provided with oppositely directed lugs 17 and mounted upon said lugsare mating upper and lower bearing plates 18 and 19 respectively, bolts20 being engaged through the end portions of the plates and through thelugs 17 for securing the plates together as well as also connecting saidplates with thelugs. Thus, as willbe seen, the mating members of thepost will be firmly connected at their upper endsso that the bowedportions 13 of the post will tightly clamp the steering post. The plates18 and 19 are formed withmating groovesor chanfragmentary sectional viewnels and ournaled between the plateswithin said channels are controllevers 21 provided at their forward ends with depending arms 22.Upstanding from the plate18 is a quadrant 23 which" may be integralwiththe late and formed on said quadrant to coact with the levers are,as particularly shown in Figure 5, oppositely presented seriesoflugs24:; As will be observed, therearethree lugs in eachseriesand the lugsare wedge shaped or beveled at their outer side edges so that the leversmay ride upwardly over the lugs toward vertical position, the upstandingportions of the levers being flexed by the lugs, but upon being broughtto position in advance of the lugs will be engaged thereby selectivelyand thus held in adjusted position.

Clamped or otherwise secured to the side posts 11 of the vehicle windshield are brackets forked at their outer ends and pivoted between thearms of said forks are the sig naling members '26 employed. Asparticularly shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings, these membersare preferably a:- row shaped and taperedin thickness toward their outerends to the points thereof. As will be noted, each of said memberscomprises a skeleton shell or casing of sheet metal or other suitablematerial andjformed in the sidesofthe shell are arrow shaped windows 27each closed by a pane of glass or other transparent closure. Preferably,the glass of the windows is colored red so that in the daytime, theglass panes will show a red signal arrow at opposite sides of themember. At its inner end portion, the shell is formed with an externalshoulder 28 and is further provided at opposite sides thereof withnotches 29 and 30 opening through the inner end edge of the shell.Removably fitting over the inner end portion of the casing to abut saidshoulder is a closure cap 31 and secured to the body wall of said cap isan inwardly directed lamp bracket 32 upon which ismounted a suitablelamp socket, as conventionally illustrated at 33. Removably engaging insaid socket is an electric lamp 34c and, as will now be observed, thecurved body wall of the cap will provide a reflector in the rear of thelamp. The bracket 32 is, as shown in Figure '7, received through thenotch 29 and leading in through the wall of the cap and through thenotch 30 are circuit wires 35 connected to the lamp socket. Current maybe supplied from any suitable source upon the vehicle and preferably, anappropriate switch is interposed in the circuit so that at night, thelamps may be energized for illuminating the members. Engaging throughthe fork arms of the brackets 25, through the upper end portions of theshells of the signaling members and through the caps 31 are pivot pins36 pivotally connecting the signaling members with the brackets and, aswill be noted, the pivot pins will also serve to lock the caps inposition. As shown in Figure 3, the signaling memberswill normally hangdownwardly from the brackets and project ing from the caps 31 at theinner sides of the members are stops 37 which, as shown in de tail inFigure 9, are adapted to engage beneath the brackets for limiting themembers in their downward swinging movement. Formed on the caps at theirupper ends are sleeves 38 and engaging at their outer ends in saidsleeves are rods 39, the inner ends of which are connected to the arms22 of the control levers 21. Thus, these levers may be rocked forswinging the signaling members.

As will now be readily understood in view of the preceding description,the signaling members will normally gravitate to vertical positiondepending from the brackets 25. In this position, said members willindicate that the driver intends to continue straight ahead. Also, thesignaling members will be in this position when the vehicle is standing.In the normal position of the signaling members, the upstanding portionsof the levers 21 will be engaged with the lowermost of the lugs of theseries 24: upon the quadrant 23. By moving the levers upwardly to engagethe intermediate lugs of said series, the signaling members will beswung upwardly to intermediate cautionary position. The signaling memberat the left of the vehicle when thus moved to cautionary position willindicate an intention of the driver to turn to the left. Similarly, whenthe signaling member at the right of the vehicle is swung to cautionaryposition, this member will indicate an intention of the driver to turnto the right. lVhen the levers are moved to engage the uppermost of thelugs of the series 24, the signaling members will then be swung tohorizontal position, indicating an intention of the driver to stop. Iaccordingly provide a device wherein the driver of the vehicle mayreadily indicate his intended course of action and, as will beperceived, the signaling members may be readily manipulated from thedrivers seat of the vehicle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: l

1. A traflic signal including a post, mating bearing plates mounted uponthe post, one of said plates being provided with a quadrant, and acontrol lever journaled between said plates to cooperate with saidquadrant and arranged for operative connection with a signaling memberwhereby the lever may be rocked for swinging the member.

2. A traliic signal including a post comprising mating members, meansconnecting the lower end portions of the members, mating bearing platesmounted upon the upper end portions of said members, means extendingthrough said plates and through the members securing the plates togetheras well as to the members whereby to connect the upper end portions ofthe members, and a control lever journaled between said plates andarranged for operative connection with a signaling member whereby thelever may be rocked for swinging the signaling member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ADAM LATSHAW. [n s]

